Pulse Rush
by Time Warpster
Summary: I see thoughts all around me. I feel colors on my finger tips . I taste the future on the back of my tongue. What ever it is I have makes me a freak, an outcast. I could deal with this odd disposition... If this power didn't entangle me with the vampires, specifically him. My name is Pash, and I'm as good as dead.
1. Chapter 1

Pulse Rush

_**Opposites are inevitably attracting. Where one entity exists, so does the other pole on the magnet, and we all know the big N and S can't keep their paws off of each other. Take good and evil for example. The two coexist in on such a thin, dangerous line. There is no middle, no grey area. But why is it we find the light is constantly in search of the dark, and the dark for the light? What a strange draw… The real question is, when the two join forces, is it a combination so incredibly violent, so vicious the balance is thrown off the charts? Or is the combination what could extinguish the war between the opposing forces, and bring peace? I pray that the world will never have to find out. I, on the other hand, would not be so fortunate.**_

Ch. 1

My mind is humming. Not like a tune, but more like a computer. Colors enter and exit like a Crayola freeway. My mind retracts. A radio turns on and I hear sound bites of thoughts. My mind retracts. A movie clip of a fender bender in the parking lot plays out in my head. My mind retracts.

As some might like to call it attention deficit disorder, I know all too well that's not what I am. Hypersensitive? Not exactly, but it's getting warmer. ESP? If you tilt your head and squint your eyes. A freak? True, but too vague. The word psychic is really outdated, and is usually associated with a wrinkly lady with a crystal ball and a Ukrainian accent saying "For a small fee, I shall tell you your future." I'd like to think I'm not as sketchy as that.

If someone asks me "Pash, what the hell are you?" I think I'd have to just stick with the freak option, because in all honesty, I don't know what to call it. To me, people exude an aura which is like an electricity field and color from within. And like a radio that's a little too fast, I hear conversations before they happen. It's the same with the movie scenes, and it's even more sensitive to the touch. To put it in perspective, it's like someone took my internal remote, put it in the microwave oven for a moment, and gave it back saying "have at it."

My arm, now being roughly shook by my coworker and friend of ages, Melanie, catapults me back to JR's Groceries, my place of employment.

"That'll be $26.93, Ma'am," I say sheepishly. The elderly woman reaches for her wallet, but gives me that same bizarre stare. She hastily hands me a fifty, hand still hovering for her change, as if she'll bolt at any moment's notice. When I give her the change, she swipes her bagged groceries and hobbles off. This is a daily ordeal.

"Have a great day…" I say to the now unoccupied space the elderly woman was just in.

"So what's the outlook, Pash?" Melanie sometimes liked to get a look in on my weirdo internal television.

"Fender about, oh, 6:33… No, make that 6:37. Other than that it's normalcy, normalcy, and some more normalcy," I informed her. She gave a pouting look of dissatisfaction.

"Ugh, spare me the mundane. How 'bout the guys? Is there a nice piece of ass on his way over here for me?" She asked, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

I smiled and gave her a slight shove on the arm for this. "Mel, you and I both know I can't see that."

"A dying shame…" She said reluctantly as she combed through her hair with her nails.

I paused as I went back to my mind for a moment. Something came up on my grid that was sort of unusual. It was black. Not like the color black, but more like a void black. It's as if I had been staring at the sun a bit too long. I had never had a blind spot like this before.

"Hm… Something is coming, though I can't tell what it is." Melanie gave me a questioning look. "I guess we'll have to wait and see, like the regular ones do," I chuckled.

The clock on my register chimed away that it was 6 pm, my break time. This was also the time of day Mr. Capp (AKA J.R. Capp, the owner of the store and my boss) gets edgy, since the sun is down by then.

Until three years ago, the supernatural had been enveloped in a shroud of speculation and myth. They were a ghost story to be told 'round a fire, not something that could very well be your next door neighbor. But three years ago changed a lot.

To the shock of people around the world, the vampire community as a whole made themselves known to the public. With them, they brought indisputable evidence that they weren't some well organized cult of wackjobs, and they also brought a metaphorical olive branch to tell people that they were no (immediate) threat to the welfare of the human race. Once the government realized what they weren't dealing with some bullshit prank, they brought out the whole nine yards; Posting thousands of National Guard soldiers, sending kids home from school on a daily basis, replaying emergency broadcasting stations. After ten days of frenzied press meetings, ambassador consultings, the occasional address from the president, everything had resumed to a state of regularity. From then on, the world would just have to accept that vampires were a reality. The years that followed were riddled with controversy. The occasional young girl found dead sparked massive heat from the public and press, but the vampire representatives proved they were good at cleaning up their messes with poise. And of course there were the radical crowds who would burn a cross here, riot it out there, but in truth, people were too afraid to become overly interested in the vampires. Instinct told people that the vampires had a level of danger that shouldn't be screwed with.

The human side of me was just as freaked out as everyone else when the vampires came out of hiding. The not-so human side of me was granted a strange kind of relief that I wasn't the only inhuman thing out there. By no means did I relate myself with the vampires, but there is a definite peace in knowing you're not the only oddity.

I sat in the break room and saw Mr. Capp had stationed himself outside of his office scanning his store for any unwelcomed patrons. Being a food store, we've never had a vampire customer, though things were changing. We recently got an unusual shipment specially made for the undead, though Mr. Capp refused to put in on the shelves. I laughed lightly to myself because if a vampire ever did enter our store Mr. Capp wouldn't know what to do with himself. He'd probably have to scurry back to his office and piss his pants from there.

As I munched away on a blueberry granola bar in the remaining minutes of my break, I tried to probe this peculiar void. It was definitely closer than it was before, intuition telling me the source was going to stop by soon. I wondered if it was human or not. Maybe it was another one of… me. The idea bubbled in my brain for a moment or two, but the high pitch buzz of my alarm told me I needed to resume my work.

I continued ringing customers up, but my mind was having trouble staying alert and in reality. Having this ability (though it's more like a disability) makes me constantly work to stay in the present and not retract into my mind. This is a good reason school had always been a challenge for me. But I could tell the void would be stopping in very soon. Like hearing approaching footsteps on the floor, it got louder with every passing moment. It was in the parking lot now. The void was becoming larger, all else disappeared within it. I could feel the fine hairs on my body perk up one by one.

The air stilled, things became very, very quite. A tall thing walked in the door. No, it was more like a stalk or a prowl rather than a walk. Its wild, slate painted eyes betrayed it in telling what it really was. Vampire. But what had me slack jawed was the silence I felt. My body was still buzzing, but my mind was a rest. For the first time, I didn't hear everything and anything. It was the void.

He surveyed the store, and I saw his nostrils flare. He turned into my direction, and I saw him in all of his immortal being. The sides of his head were shaved in a weirdly hipster style, and then it was dyed an ocean green. He had large, unsettling piercings through his ears, lips and nose. Various tattoos coated his skin. When his nose had found what it was looking for, his crazed eyes narrowed on me and his lips curled up to a cocky half smile. This was the first time I had encountered a vampire, and I was sure I looked like a dumbstruck idiot.

On cue, one car easily collided in the back of the other. 6:37 pm.

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I've been wanting to write this story for a long, long time, and am so glad I've got a running start on it. So many ideas are a'brewing! I encourage all to review (praise or criticism, I need to hear both you know). See you guys in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

_Wow_. That was the only thought bouncing around my brain when he walked in the door. It was the only thing I heard in my brain as well because of the void. _This… This is what normal people hear, isn't it? Just what they're thinking, nothing else? _To put it in perspective, it's like you've hear a bad, scratchy record repeat itself at full volume in your head since the day you were born, then someone comes along with a baseball bat, and smashes that record to tiny pieces. The lack of sound is overwhelmingly beautiful and so foreign as well.The silence was so sickeningly sweet, it almost drove me to a weird laugh, but I suppressed it. My brain now zeroed into the nonhuman that was closing the gap in between the two of us. I felt a mixed twinge of panic and adrenaline shoot into my legs and stomach, telling me to decide now between good ole' fight or flight. But no; I remained right where I stood.

I broke the gaze I hadn't realized I'd been holding to glance at Mel, maybe to see if it was only me in this trance. The state I saw her in assured me that she and every other person in JR's was all too aware of what was going on. Short, shallow breaths made her back tremble slightly, and her eyes that were wide with fear and instinct were locked onto the ground, not daring to stray upwards. I felt the desperate need to comfort my friend and sooth her fear, but hearing the footsteps approach their destination automatically turned my head into the direction of the predator.

My eyes reconnected with those slate eyes that threaten to eat me alive and I tried to find my voice.

"H-hello, sir. Uh, i-is there something I can help you with?" His half smile spread farther in amusement of my shaky voice. He nonchalantly placed his elbows on the highest part of the counter and propped his head on his hands, never breaking eye contact.

"Would you be a doll and get me something to eat?" His words sent a swift chill down my spine. His voice was deep and far too inhuman sounding. Even through the glorious silence, I was having a hard time collecting my thoughts. Then I remembered the new shipment. Those new boxes were filled with dissolvable tablets of synthetic blood. It wasn't out on our shelves, but I knew exactly where in the back of the store.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll be right back," I said exiting the counter. I looked back at Mel and her face was sending me a gesture of alarm. I gave her an assuring look back before I made my way to the storage area. The senses were slowly coming back to me as I got away from the vampire. I could feel the frightened auras of the customers, especially the fuming aura of Mr. Capp. _There is a very good chance I could get fired for doing this. But… Mr. Capp always did preach that __**any**__ customer is a valued customer._

I pulled out the unopened box of tablets I was unsure of how many he'd want, so I grabbed a few and hurried back down the aisles back to my station where the vampire was leaning casually eying Mel. The moment I reached his vicinity, I was welcomed with the silence of the void once again. It was nearly addicting. His nostrils flared again and he was back to facing me. I laid the tablet containers down on the conveyer belt and looked back at him.

"I didn't know how much you wanted so I grabbed a bunch… Is this okay?" I asked hesitantly.

He looked at them curiously for a minute then replied, "It's not what I had in mind for food, but it will make due for now." He featured a smile at the end of his reply, and his smile displayed something frightening. _Fangs. Those are definitely fangs._ A second chill traveled from my spine to the tips of my fingers. This time, it was me who was speeding through the checkout, not the customer. I received his money as stably as my body would allow and watched as Mel gave him his bag.

"You know, you should let me find you sometime soon. I'd love to know why it is you smell the way you do," He purred deeply. My eyes widened in shock. I shook my head no vehemently and ripped my eyes away from his gaze.

Just as he said this, another figure, undoubtedly vampire, glided quickly by the side of the vampire in front of me and set his hand on the other's shoulder and said, "Keegan, we need to be on our way. Now."

Keegan, I supposed his name was, shook off his hand with a huff and a look of annoyance on his face. He grabbed his bag and turned back to me.

"Hope to be seeing you around, Red." I guessed he nicknamed me for my red hair. I let of a sigh of relief once he was gone. I did _not _want to be seeing him around. He was trouble. And not like the cool kid riding a motorcycle kind of bad. He was the kind of bad that your survival instincts don't agree with. Suddenly it was very, very loud. People were frenzied with a mix of panic and delight for what was their first vampire encounter. So many thoughts and excited auras bounced around, it was disorienting. I could feel Mr. Capp's nearly boiling presence come up close behind me.

"Pash Kendall, I am requesting you presence in my office, immediately," He spat out before storming back to his fortress. Mel gave me a quick squeeze on the hang, which I quickly traded for a hug before walking into Mr. Capp's office. As I shut the door behind me, I couldn't help but notice the deep shade of angry red his face and neck were turning. This would not be fun.

"What… The Hell... We're you thinking serving that, that, thing?" He demanded. "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to serve those things, and you go a flirt with the first one that waltzes into my store?" That flirting comment pushed me a little too far, but I knew I'd have to keep my cool if I wanted to keep my job.

"With all due respect, Mr. Capp, I was in no way flirting with him. I was a little caught off guard, to say the least, but I tried to be as polite and courteous as you'd want me to be with any customer."

"Serve him politely," he scoffed. "They don't deserve our service. They're murderers, Miss Marta. He's probably killed hundreds if not thousands and you want to give him our service on a silver platter. I hope you know you're in deep trouble." It's not that I necessarily wanted to defend this one vampire, I wasn't naïve enough to think he was in anyway a law abiding citizen, but I still believe in equality, if not tolerance.

"Mr. Capp, you cannot ignore the law. We are told that businesses can't refuse service on account of whether one is human or not. And I," I stood and looked him straight in the eye, so he got my point, "Cannot be punished for doing my job."

His aura fluxed and spiked with irritation as he thought of a way to retort, but he received nothing to give, so with a gruff breath, he ordered me back to my station. As I reopened my register, Mel slipped quietly to my side and whispered, "What just happened back there?"

"I… I don't know." I answered honestly.

"It's just, you looked so calm throughout that. And he... He looked like he was going to eat you alive, Pash." I nodded slowly. _**I bet she's one of those whores who secretly hang around those leeches, and this is just her day job.**_The thought passed through my head and I turned to the source. It was a guy with his grandmother, both with sneers they made no attempt to hide. I felt my stomach drop.

"I know what we're gonna do, Pash my friend. As soon as my shift's over, I'm going to find the closest silver seller in town. We'll make sure that creep never wants to even look your way again," She said, regaining her spirits. I smiled at the odd, but caring resolution.

I worked through the next few hours until it was 9:00, the end of my shift. Mel had closing, and begged that I waited until she finished, but I told her that I needed to get home to make sure my dad hadn't drunk himself into a stupor tonight. I walked out into the streets of Chicago, wrapping a light scarf around my neck in response to the slight nip in the cool air and let the hectic sparks of the city and its people invade my mind.

It's not till later I'd realize how much I'd wish I want that silver.

**Finally. As much as I've been wanting to go forward with this story, I had lost all my previous work on a broken computer and had to wait until now to get it up and running again. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, there's a lot in store for our little red headed hero. That being said, if you loved it/hated it/meh'ed it, just let me know! I really would like to hear any and all reviews.  
>Thank you lovely people!<strong>

**Update! I fixed a few grammatical errors, and a biggie: Changing it from Ch. 12 to Ch. 2. I got a little overzealous there. My Bad!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(Quick Warning! This chapter is pretty graphic with violence, so if you might be offended, I urge you to first close your eyes, then read. Otherwise, enjoy the story!)**

Chapter 3

I took a deep inhale letting the chill of the air coat my throat. I've always loved the cold. The air was usually drier, and I liked the way it pricked my skin, making me want to run for the thrill of running. And then there was the snow. Whenever I saw snow descend from the sky back down to earth, I'd always feel butterflies in my stomach and the need to stifle a childish giggle. Many people looked at the snow with ugly frowns and complaints on their tongues, but it's things like that which I can't help but find absolute beauty in.

But that snow was far from coming; it was only late October. As I walked at a leisurely pace, I glanced into a small shop's window, a decoration store. It was adorned with the devilish grins of jack-o-lanterns, fall colored leafs, and cinnamon coated brooms. I lightly touched the window and felt the lingering touch of a little boy who had touched the same place not too long before. I felt a charge of excitement and the unfiltered joy that only comes from a child. The happiness was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile to myself. This power I possess isn't so bad, in small doses. It allows me to dip my feet into the collective pool of human emotion. Sometimes, it's nice, these emotions can make you laugh, or they can warm your heart. But other times, these emotions are so massive and so chaotic, they painfully consume me.

I travelled along trailing my fingers lightly over the windows and walls of the shops, when I looked into one dark window. I saw a dim picture of a girl with round blue eyes and copper hair that fell in wavy torrents down to her elbows in the window, who wearing a long plum coat and a fuzzy black scarf. That was my reflection. I peered slightly closer to see the faint outline of freckles on my cheeks and nose. I leaned back with a grimace. I never liked my freckles as a kid, but there are some things you never seem to outgrow.

I looked up when I felt the erratic aura I had grown to know was that of someone who was drunk. There were a few of them, five, who were far past inebriated. I squinted past the intersection, down the darker road and sure enough, the group of guys came stumbling down in my direction. I sighed to myself. I didn't feel like dealing with this right now. I dealt with enough booze at home with my dad. But he was a different kind of drunk. He was just sad all the time. These guys were unpredictable, and I didn't like that. The closer I got, the more I became aware of their thoughts. One got full sight of me and began projecting an image of me, only I was stark naked, and with breasts far larger than I really had. I tisked in disgust and made the decision to turn quickly on my heel onto the right side of the crossroad, picking up the pace as I did so. If these guys wanted to follow me, I'd make sure to let them get well acquainted with my can of mini-mace. It looked petty, but it's not something you'd want to have in your eyes or nose.

I quickly realized I was back tracking by taking that right, going the opposite direction of my apartment, but as long as those creeps weren't trailing me, I was willing to make the loop. After walking in a fast pace, not looking to see if they were behind me (I felt their drunken presence leave the vicinity), I slowed the pace to survey my surroundings. I had gone a bit more than slightly off course in that little jog of mine. I wasn't in the most comfortable part of town, per se, and the lighting was mediocre. I grew up around this city, though, so I knew how to not let my guard down, and keep myself out of a bad situation.

Then it hit me. The void was back full force. I was sitting on the edge of it, but I didn't dare take another footstep in that direction. There had to be more than one vampire here this time, the void was a lot more dense than what I had experienced before.

Suddenly, there was a scream coming from an alley. More like the shriek of a young girl. _A young girl?_ This situation just went from bad to worse. I'd never thought vampires to be the type to corner, or kill for that matter, and child. I had hope that they were a bit more moral than that. But this wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. I quickly weighed my decisions, suppressing the maternal instinct to bolt in and save the kid. I could pass by quickly and get a good look at what's happening the report that to the police? But the police would take far too long to get here. And by the time they did… I didn't want to think about it. I could walk in and try to work something out? I'd be an idiot if I thought mediating with vampires would really do something. I could run in and fling my body onto this girl and hope they get the message? A chill ran down my back at the thought. But that's exactly what those instincts were telling me to do.

As quietly as my body would allow, I walked on the tips of my feet to the alley, and turned my head ever so slowly around the corner trying to see through the darkness. The pale yellow of the flickering street lamp only reached so far into that alley, but when I looked for long enough, I could make out three bodies. Two tall, imposing ones dressed in dark coats, and one that barely passed four feet in height. Once I had sized up the situation to its full severity, my legs acted before my mind could.

"Stop!" I shouted at the two figures. "Get away from her, _now_" I continued to run until I skidded to a stop in front of the girl. She couldn't have been older than eight with long blond hair and flushed cheeks, looking like one of those little cherub angels. Her childish, but dark eyes held so much fear. She had blood dripping down from her scalp onto her face in rosy beads. I extended my arms out in attempt to create some kind of barrier. My breath caught in my throat when I realized who I was trying to protect the girl from. Sea Green haired Keegan was right in front of me again with his dark haired friend that collected him from the store.

"Oh hey, it's little Red! I didn't expect to meet up so soon… But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to see you again," He ended his greeting with that familiarly cocky smile that framed the fangs. I took everything in my power not to let my knees shake. I looked him hard in his cold, slate eyes, hopefully showing I wasn't going to back down any time soon. His nameless partner stood by Keegan's side with a bored, apathetic look drawn on his features.

"W-what do you want from her, huh? She's just a kid!" I said with a slight quiver in my voice. I felt a small hand grip my coat. The girl behind me was holding on to me tightly, and I had no intentions of letting her get hurt.

Keegan scoffed. "That one behind you? She owes us some information." He took a few steps closer to me, bent down slightly so he was level with my face and said, "I highly recommend you don't get tangled up in this. Why don't you move on over and wait for me. I'll deal with you in a minute." I tried to hold back a tremble. Something swirled within his eyes as he spoke, as if urging me to do as he commanded, but I easily shook off that heavy feeling. He was far too close to me right now, and his ominous words kicked in the fighting instinct.

I firmly planted my hands on his shoulders and shoved as hard as my body would let me while shouting, "No way in hell!" He barely even budged an inch, which instead moved me back a few paces, along with the girl who was anchored to me. His face twisted signifying he was no longer in a good humor. In a movement too swift and smooth to register with my brain, he painfully grabbed my wrists.

"I said, _move out of the way and wait for me_," he said with a growl this time. I saw the same swirl of dark color in his eye, so confused as to what he was trying to accomplish right now.

"Let go!" I tried to shake him off as violently as I could manage, but doing so only hurt my arms even more. Keegan's friend stepped in with, instead, an amused expression.

"What's wrong Keegan? You seem to have lost your influential touch, hm?" He mocked. Keegan's grasp around my wrists only tightened at his jibes, to a bruising grip. I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out.

He cocked his head around to his friend. "Shut up Santiago!" Santiago only shrugged, pulled out a cigarette, lit the tip, and resumed his nonchalant stance against the brick wall of the alley. Keegan turned back to me.

"I don't know what kind of stunt you're trying to pull off here, Doll, but it's really starting to get on my nerves. So if you're not gonna do as I say, well I'll just fucking make you." In one, simple motion, he tossed me into the back corner of the alley, allowing every bone in my body to make harsh contact with the brick, successfully knocking the breath out of me. I let out a labored groan. All I received from the jackass who threw me like a rag doll was a snicker. The police call was starting to sound like the better idea here.

Keegan spoke, "All right, Ruth, are you ready to talk? Because I could always just smash your skull against the pavement until you're ready to tell me what I need to hear?" My eyes widened at the threat. I slowly regained my stance, bracing myself against the walls.

"Piss off," the little Ruth spat back. Wow. This kid has quite the mouth on her. To this, Keegan grabbed her light blond hair, wrapped it around his fist, and began smashing his fist onto the ground, her head in tow. The sickening sound of bone against cement made my stomach churn. _Crack. Crack. Crack._ A disturbing grin of mad enjoyment crept across Keegan's mouth, then letting out a hysterical laugh. At this rate, the girl would never survive. Gaining all the momentum I could muster, I launched my body on a path to collide with Keegan. I suppose I got what I wanted, because he let go on his reign of her hair and instead turned to me. He again grabbed my wrists and pressed me against a wall. I tried to search for the girl out of my peripheral vision, but Keegan's sneering face was all I could see.

"Oh I get it, Red. You'd rather me take care of you right now, yeah? Well, as a gentleman, I am happy to oblige." He brought oh of my wrists up to his mouth and inhaled deeply.

While he was distracted, I yelled out to the girl, "Run, now while he's not looking!" I just prayed that Santiago was apathetic enough to let her by. Keegan took notice to what I shouted, turned his head only for us both to see that the blood stained spot where she'd been lying a moment ago was now unoccupied. _Well she moves fast_, I thought to myself. A wave of relief melted over me. Mission accomplished, the little girl, Ruth, is safe. Phase two of the plan (getting out alive) might prove to be a failure considering the position I'm in right now.

Keegan looked back at me with those wild, predatory eyes, never breaking contact as he spoke. "So, Doll, you made me lose a source. But it's okay, I'll give you a chance to repay me…" He raised my wrist back up to his mouth, took a sharp inhale, and a quick peck onto my palm. A shudder of fear racked my body and I tried, I desperately tried to squirm my way out in attempt of an escape.

"Ah, ah, ah," he chided. "You're not going anywhere any time soon." I felt a light graze of a tooth on my wrist, followed by the cool press of his tongue. A small gasp of terror escaped from my lips before I could stifle it. Keegan just smirked and said, "You know, fear is such a turn on… So let's see if you taste as delicious as you smell." I felt the slightest pressure on the skin of my wrist, and sure enough, it broke giving way to blood, sending the smallest sting of pain. He pressed my wrist tightly to his mouth and hungrily sipped away. A choked sound of shock came from me as I tried to rip my hand away, which only made the open wound larger. The idea of being eaten (or drunk) alive put my internal survival alarms into chaos. He raised his head for a moment, with a hazy look in his eyes. "Oh, man Santi, she taste like heaven! No one else has ever tasted like this before," He exclaimed to his friend. Santiago only raised an eyebrow at the comment. "What exactly are you, huh?" There's the golden question.

"Please… Just let me go home," I pleaded, sounding ridiculously pathetic. I resented sounding like such a simpering fool, but it was a last resort, since every other option was out of reach at this point.

"Oh, no Red. You're coming along with me. But don't worry, Doll, I'll be sure to keep you alive so you can keep making this blood of yours." No, no, no, no, no. My mind frantically searched for any means of possible escape. I mentally felt for the can of mini mace but remembered it was left in the pocket of my other coat. Then I remembered, the self-defense video we were forced to watch in my health class junior year. Hitting the face was out of the question, considering my hands were a bit tied up at the momemt. The stomach was a bit too in the middle for either of my limbs to reach. The groin… That could work. If weak points transcend species, then I might have a light at the end of the tunnel!

I snapped out of my internal deliberation when Keegan posed a question. "Hey, Red? Why don't you let me take this scarf off of that pretty little neck of yours so I can have the real deal?" He raised a hand that also contained my wrist to nab the edge of the scarf. I took that opportunity of distraction to swiftly kick upwards, until I felt contact. When I did, Keegan let out a harsh groan and kneeled over, giving me a perfect opening. Once my body was out of his hold, I put every cent of energy I had into my legs, running for my life. Maybe I could get far away enough that he would just give up. Maybe I could find someone who would help me out of this. Maybe if I take a back road and hide he won't be able to find me. This list of maybes were cut off, just as I reached the mouth of the alley, when Santiago's extended hand grabbed my torso in a deadlock. That's it. This is a death sentence. I'm going to die. Just when I'm at the doorstep of freedom, the King of Apathy decides to give a damn.

Santi spoke, "You know, running wouldn't do anything. You ticked this guy off enough already, and leading him on a chase would just get your throat ripped out." All right, running's not an option, so I might as well use my last resort. I inhaled as deeply as my lungs would permit, then let out as piercing a scream as I could, in hopes someone, anyone would hear. Santi's hand abruptly covered my mouth. "Okay, now you don't have to be an annoying prey… Though the prey usually does the screaming far before where you've gotten. Oh, sleeping beauty is up." He turned to Keegan, who was positively livid. "She's all yours." He pushed me over to Keegan, and I was met by one arm around the torso, and the other clenched onto my scalp with fierce force. I couldn't help but let a few tears trail down my face and grimace from the pain.

"You… You little bitch." He let out a wild laugh. I felt my face meet wall and was met with blinding pain "I have had to put up a fight like this in decades!" I let out a strangled cry. "And here I was going to let you live. But you chose this, Red. And now I'm going to drain you, until you're cold and stiff and dry." The scarf around my next was torn off and he raised my now exposed neck to his mouth. He roughly sank his fangs into my neck, and the pain exploded. All I could do was let out another strangled cry.

As I laid there, wanted to feel sad, I wanted to feel grief. But it never came to me. No one would mourn me, not that I wanted to be mourned. It would take my dad a week to notice I was gone, at least. Scratch that. He would notice the missing groceries, and that the person who picks them up is no longer there. He probably wouldn't call the cops, he'd instead pour a glass. Mel would be sad though… For a year or so until she moved on with her life. But maybe I'd finally meet mom in heaven, if that's where I go. I don't really remember too much about her. Bits and pieces. Wouldn't it be nice to get to reacquaint ourselves? I couldn't tell how much time had passed as I was being bled out, but I knew with the darkness creeping in on the peripheral edges, it was time for last words. A tired, but strong willed smile crept onto my face, as I motioned for Keegan to lend me his ear. He looked mildly humored, so he bent his ear down to my mouth.

"What is it, Red?" His mouth was outlined with the color of my nickname, making me feel even more queasy. But determinedly, I croaked out my last words.

"I sincerely hope… that you choke on my blood… and die."

Then the darkness took reign. My head felt so fuzzy. _So this is what dying feels like? Strange… I always thought it was a bit more, I dunno, quiet and quick. What's the hold up?_

I heard voices. They were shouting. _One voice. Two voices. Three? Now four? If this is supposed to be my funeral, it's a pretty lame turn out. No… this is the alley. The pungent smell of trash and the feel of gravel are unmistakable. So, I'm still alive? What the heck?_

I could now feel my body being lifted off of the pavement. The voices were down to two, but they didn't being to Keegan nor Santiago. I strained to listen.

"…**If you're going to**….. **Do it now." **The voice sounded young and female, yet entirely commanding. It couldn't be the little girl Ruth, could it?

"…**I don't want this responsibility….Commitment**….__**Eternity…" **The second voice belonged to a man, but it wasn't one of the men from before. _Wait_. Commitment? Eternity? Oh, no. No one was going to turn me into a vampire. I was going to die. I didn't want to become one. No! I searched for my voice. It was dry and weak but I put whatever kind of life I had left into that voice.

"P-p-plea… D-don't… Tur…"My voice struggled to get ever letter off my tongue. A hand reached over to smooth over my hair, which I could only guess was caked with dry blood from the head meets wall encounter not too long ago.

"**Shh**," the voice soothed. "**You won't be vampire… You will live."** Did I hear that right? All I felt at this point was exhausted. I just wanted to sit back and let whatever will happen, life or death, happen.

I dropped deeper into the darkness and heard one final voice shouting. "**Sven, now!**"

**Woot! Things are starting to heat up now. Thank you to my esteemed reviewers, Andrea and Themostawesomeemogirl. I appreciate the feedback, and urge every reader to leave me a word or two. Reviews are the light at the end of the tunnel for an author, and reading them makes me want to update that much more quickly. I'm very excited now that this story is off and running.**

**It's been fun, now back to more writing…**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The dark was the only comfort I knew right then. Everything was numb to me. _Do I even belong to a body at this point? _I tried searching for something, anything that I could hold on to. A voice. I remembered hearing a voice that told me I was going to live. But I had been drained of my blood… How was the voice planning on getting me out of that hole? I really screwed up this time. Is this the proper time to pray to God to redeem your soul? _He might not appreciate that number. _As much as I admired the moral wellbeing of churches, I never could look past the obvious bigotry that stained many religious grounds; therefore I wasn't a regular church goer. But I had always known there was Something with a capital S out there that was much bigger than myself and everything I know. Maybe I should give this a shot.

_Well, God, if you're up to granting me a favor, it would be nice to know which side I'm on at this point, living or dead…. If it's not too much trouble._ I didn't really know how much time had been passing me by, or if I even needed a concept of time, but after some point, I was getting antsy, and there was an awful itch on my little toe that I could absolutely not take care of. _Wait… An itch? I have skin! I have nerves in my body! I'm, I'm alive!_

I was now violently thrashing in the darkness, hoping to resurface, find any kind of light my eyes could grasp. I was coming closer, more and more feeling returned to my limbs; I could feel the press of fabric on my body, the prick of sweat on my skin. My eyes slowly creaked open, until the haze cleared and I could survey my current surroundings. I was in an obscenely large, opulent room, sitting in a bed that was tailored to a queen. A lace canopy delicately draped over the pillars that extended from the bed. There had to have been at least twenty pillows around me. The dim city lights of Chicago flooded the room through the horizontal blinds of the window. _Good. I'm still in familiar territory._

I quickly raised my hands to make sure they were still intact, along with my arms and legs. I was no longer wearing my work uniform, or my coat, but instead a soft black dress that felt more expensive than half of my yearly pay checks. It was an exquisite dress; It had a perfectly tailored sweetheart neckline, and ethereal, gauze like black fabric that softly flowed to just above my knees. I also was sporting new under garments… _Oh boy, what happened while I was out_? I tentatively raised my hand to my neck, prodding and feeling for any sign of impalement. There was none whatsoever. All I felt was the unbroken skin of my neck. My eyes widened in shock. I then frantically searched for a pulse on my neck. Sure enough, there was the firm and steady buh-bumb of my heart. _I'm… I'm still human._ The tips of my hair, I noticed, had dried blood in them, making me feel instantly unclean.

I stared at the door for a moment longer. Whoever brought me here saved me from sure death, but why? What moral obligation did they have to me? I had a feeling whoever it was wasn't human, though. No regular being could have gotten past those vampire thugs. A shiver flew down my spine at the thought of remembering Keegan throwing me around like I was some raggedy toy, then drinking me to the brink of death. I focused on feeling for anything around me, extra sense wise. No auras, except for the wispy remnants of my own. I patted down the sheets on the bed to see if I could pick up who the bed belonged to. There was nothing. _Either my ability's gone… Or this bed doesn't belong to a human. _I closed my eyes, fishing for anything the future might hold. I couldn't hear anything and no visions came to me. I felt blind and deaf, though I could still see and hear.

_Gotta find the closest exit, _I decided. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and in the process, my vision began to fog over. My legs felt like lead as well. I lightly patted my cheeks hoping the dizziness would let up and forced myself to stand, my knees struggling to keep my upright. I stumbled over to the door in the front of the room, and found it with a lock only a hotel room would use. I looked out the small peephole on the door, checking to see if anyone was one the other side. The hall was completely empty. Slowly, I turned the handle and pushed the door open, inch by inch, making sure I wasn't grabbing anyone's attention. I poked my head out tentatively, scoping out the area. I was still alone. I crept out, still using the wall to make up for my lacking balance. I was in a long hall, just as elegantly decorated as the room I was in. Only two other doors marked hall, along with a wide window giving view to the shimmering night light of the city. At the opposite end was an elevator and a staircase. Judging by the view the window gave, this was a sky high level. I momentarily debated which hotel this was, but decided there were just too many places in Chicago to decide that. _Just… Act natural Pash. Don't give anyone a reason to be suspicious. _Walking as briskly as my fumbling legs would let me, I made my way over to the elevator, knowing I'd never make it down that many flight of stairs safely.

I pressed the down button and waited anxiously. I realized I might need a cab to get home considering how my body was fairing. Even if I did have my original clothes on, my pant pocket only had about three dollars and a nickel. It seemed walking back barefoot was my only viable option. I rubbed my eyes in frustration, willing the grogginess to clear. I was really going to need to pull off a doozy of a stunt in order to make it back to my mediocre, comfortable life. 'When life gives you lemons,' my dad used to say back in his sober days, 'just eat the damn things.' I allowed myself to a small smile, though I felt a familiar tug in my chest. I really missed those days. My dad was the kind of guy who always had a witty remark on the tip of his tongue, and he was so very smart, on the useless things to be smart about of course. He and I would watch Jeopardy and he'd answer nearly every question in such a nonchalant way, but he'd get incredibly annoyed when the "incompetent idiot" contenders couldn't think of the proper answer. Being a kid, I'd just watch my father wide-eyed thinking he was some sort of super hero brainiac.

This is when I first tried to channel my ability searching the future to lend me the next answer, in hopes to impress my father. On a rare occasion, I'd be able to pull the next answer from the future, and it would work; my dad would high five me, calling me his little smartie pants. Other times my timing was a little off. Alex Trebek would state "Sakura cheese from Hokkaido is a soft cheese flavored with leaves from this fruit tree." I'd blurt out "What is 20 Liters?" not realizing the question was asking for a plant, not a measurement. I'd feel totally embarrassed but my dad would mess up my hair saying "Ha-ha, real funny Pash." Where the next statement would be 'the internationally recognized bare minimum for personal water consumption', my previous response would have been completely acceptable. Dad's aura would spike with suspicion, and I'd catch tidbits of "Odd… Coincidence, right… Is this a rerun?" going through his head.

The high pitch _ding! _of the bell caught me off guard, snapping me back to the present. I quickly entered and pressed the button marked Lobby, making mental note that the current floor was floor thirty. I felt the light presence of a human that had touched this button… A male hotel employee. Only one human out of this whole place. _There's no way_…. My breathing started to quicken as the instincts returned to fight or flight mode. As the elevator descended, I couldn't help from cracking a grimacing half smile at the irony of the irritatingly upbeat, jazzy elevator music in comparison my current situation. The elevator was approaching the last few floors when I thought up a quick little role for myself. _Just pretend like you can actually afford to stay at a place like this. I'm just any other patron that walks in and out these doors… And if all else fails, I'll see how far I can run before my body meets the ground._

The elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened, though I didn't dare let my eyes stick to anything but the floor in front of me. _I'm back in the void._ The void was now a palpable thing I could instantly recognize, akin to falling in a pool of water. I hurriedly walked towards the hotel exit, hardly letting any more than the bare tips of my feet touch the ground, in hopes to be as swift and inconspicuous as possible. _Left foot, right foot, one in front of the other. Just get yourself out of here._ The normal chatter the lobby was filled with prior now became silent. I could practically feel eyes on me.

"Passion Kendall." A deep voice, a full octave lower than my own, casually stated my proper name. My entire body froze upon hearing him. I leveled my head to see almost everyone in the lobby was looking at me. I could feel heat pool in my cheeks, not enjoying being a side show spectacle. _That voice… That's the last thing I remember hearing before I took a dip in the darkness. What do I do?_ Slowly, I turned my body, now rigid with instinctual fear, to the man.

My eyes locked with his cold, slate pair instantly, affirming my predictions of my savior/captor being super human. I couldn't help but feel a slight spur in my stomach from looking at him. He was just unfairly handsome. Midnight locks twisted and mingled within his well cut hair making it seem like he'd just awoken from sleep. The aristocratic shape of his nose and mouth gave him a dignified air, one that should not be messed by lesser beings. His jaw was locked tight, showing he was not at ease; this severely contrasted with the languid manor he called my name in. He was sitting in an elegant loveseat sofa, his posture casual, but parts of him looked tense. His white button down shirt made his light olive skin look polished and pristine, like the marble male statues the Romans so obsessively created.

"Passion," he called again. I wasn't used to my full name being called. I'd always thought it was a silly name, but then again, people rarely like the names given to them. He patted the open spot next to him on the loveseat, motioning for me to join him. My heart clenched, not wanting to again be put in the situation that nearly killed me before. One foot backed away and I eyed the door quickly computing how fast I could make it to the door. _It's not going to be fast enough, and I'm not sure this body is up to the run…_ When my eyes shifted back to him, his expression was darker, more threatening telling me that if I was stupid enough to make a break for it, I'd regret my decision wholly. I relented and took stiff, deliberate steps over to him. The whole time he didn't take his eyes off me, holding me captive with that same cold stare. As I found myself in front of the seat, I really didn't want to sit next to this unknown man… vampire. He raised an eyebrow at my hesitation, and gestured with his eyes for me to take my seat. Grudgingly, I did what he wanted. I saw a malicious smirk form on his face, like he enjoyed pushing me around silently. From that moment I willed myself to resent this guy. This new feeling of annoyance made me want to play his game.

"Can I help you?" I said coolly, crossing my arms.

His smirked remained but fashioned by a different humor this time. "Sven Portman," he offered his name. He extended his hand out for a handshake, such a simple thing. I stared at it uncertain and looked in his eyes. He was just _daring_ me to take his hand. Not wanting to gape at his hand like a little kid scared shitless, I accepted his dare and reached to grab his hand with my own smirk of competition on my face.

As soon as my skin made contact with his, I felt a jolt of electricity zap off his skin onto mine. It ran wildly through my body, dancing in my legs, sparking through my hands, ricocheting through my skull, lingering just below my hips. I reeled my hand back letting out a shocked yelp. My eyes, which I was sure were the size of dinner plates by now, watched him with suspicious fear. He leaned back in the seat, a dark chuckle bubbling from his broad chest as he examined his hand curiously. He must have felt the zap too.

"That would be known as the introduction," He explained, with the small laugh still echoing in his words.

"W-what do you mean? What was that? More importantly, you mind explaining why I'm _alive_ right now?" A flood of unanswered questions pour out of my mouth.

"I suppose you deserve an answer by now, little one." The patronizing add-on just fed the fire of my anger. "You remember the girl in the alley that you attempted to save?" He asked.

I recalled what Keegan had called the kid in my mind. "Her name's Ruth."

"Yes, well I owed a great debt to her, that's a century or two overdue." _Wait, centuries? That means Ruth…_ my thoughts trailed as I heard what he had to say next. "When you put your life on the line to save Ruth, it moved her greatly; enough to decide that she'd want to keep you alive. That's when she asked me to change you." My hand covered my mouth in disbelief. 

"No, I'm still human! My heart is beating and all, really! If I'm supposed to be a vampire, then you did a shitty job…" I said with a frightened laugh.  
>His faced turned sour at my unintentional insult. "Don't be stupid. I fully realize you're still human. But I have mixed my blood with yours and let a supernatural bond be formed. Your cells have stopped aging since then. Your body will heal instantaneously no matter how great of damage might come your way. You will live eternally, till the day of Ragnarok when even supernaturals meet their end. This bond is an ancient one, one I haven't seen in quite some time, but it was the only way to keep you alive without making you vampire. The bond is made so that a human, you," He pointed at me, "can serve, feed, and provide company to their master, me," He gestured to himself.<p>

That nervous, terrified laugh came out of my mouth once again. "You can't be serious… No. Things don't work like that. People have certain biological law that they follow. End of story." _And he wants me to do what for him?_ My eyebrows knit in worry that what he said might hold some truth.

"You no longer follow such human laws, Passion." He held no joke in his words this time.

His words were too unreal to me. I shook my head so badly wanting them to not be true. "Okay… so if what you're saying is somehow true, what if I don't want to be your pet, huh? Are you going to chase me down for all of time until I yield to you?" The corner of his mouth raised slightly at the idea.

"As much as I love a good chase, you leaving my sight would be a bad decision. You've made enemies, little one. The vampires that you got involved with are from an extremely powerful coven. This Keegan knows that you have been changed, and I hear he's tasted your blood. Once a vampire sets their mind to a prey, they won't be doing much else but plotting how to find you. It's not only Keegan, too. If you get in the business of one vampire, their entire coven gets involved. If you stay with me, I can provide you with safety and protection. If you were to be caught by this group, I can assure you that you will be violated, you will be tortured, and you will be kept a slave for an unimaginable amount of time." His words caused my face to blanch. I know how bad fifteen minutes with that guy can be, a lifetime would surely destroy me.

"But we're strong too, and we won't let those low-lifes get anywhere near you," A young, melodic voice chirped behind me. I twisted to see Ruth standing there, a beaming a bright smile. She no longer had blood drenching her hair, but it was instead pulled into two long blond braids, and she wore a soft pink, frilly dress. I suppose I know whose room I woke up in now. And this kid was supposed to be a vampire. _I had thought her eyes were dark, but I guess I didn't see the dark grey color_… She reached for my hand and shook it with glee. "It's good to finally meet you, Pash!" She let my hand fall back to my side as I just stared at her dumbly. "And let me first thank you. You did something really stupid. But it was brave. And you really helped me out there. I owe you one. I was really starting to think all humans were the same, after, oh, 600 years give or take of watching humanity." My mind simply could not wrap around the fact that she was that old, she had to be adding a few years.

"I… I just need some time to reboot my brain." I felt the fogginess creeping over again. I got up from the seat, but my knees buckled a bit more than they had before when I had first woken up. I begged my legs to obey, and just walk, but they betrayed me and I felt myself losing control quickly. In a speed faster than my eyes or mind could register, Sven was at my side bracing me so I didn't come crashing down to the floor. He tossed me over his shoulder and began moving toward the elevator.

"What a gentleman," I said quietly. I wanted so badly to put up a fight, but I was quickly losing consciousness.

"Sven! Be gentle and hold her properly," Ruth reprimanded. I didn't want him to hold me. I didn't want to be his _servant_. I didn't want to spend another minute with this guy, let alone eternity. Darkness began to wash over my sense.

It was just too, too much.

**Hurrah for another chapter released! I'm super excited to get this story going now that everything has been set up (according to my evil, evil plan).**

**I'd love if you guys could leave me a review to read, it makes me embarrassingly happy when I find I have a new one...  
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**Review Reply time!**

**Uitori- Thank you very much for taking time out to review my story. I agree with internal view of the supernatural ability that you talked about, though it's hard to do for our Pash right now, she's going to be in "the void" for a while (but not for too long!). And if you were confused by the ending mentioning silver, vampires in a lot of lore have a bad reaction to silver, which can be used as protection by humans.**

**See you guys in the next chapter!**


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